Gregory Polanco To Make His Pittsburgh Pirates Debut Tuesday

Feb 27, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco (62) runs against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates fans won’t have to wait much longer for the anticipated MLB debut of outfield mega-prospect Gregory Polanco.

We know this because Polanco himself tweeted Monday night that he will be in uniform for Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago Cubs:

Polanco, 22, has risen very quickly through the Pirates’ minor-league system since signing with the team as an international free agent in 2009. He jumped three levels in 2013, moving from High-A Bradenton to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he has remained so far this season.

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The Pirates’ cautious handling of Polanco has come under some criticism, as it appears they’ve held him down in Triple-A to avoid having to go to arbitration with him after two seasons, as opposed to the typical three.

With second baseman Neil Walker heading to the 15-day disabled list due to an emergency appendectomy, the time has come for Polanco to display his skills in black and gold. The 6-foot-4 native of the Dominican Republic is sporting a ridiculous .347/.405/.540 triple-slash line in Indy despite playing against much older competition.

In addition to his prodigious hitting abilities, Polanco is a quick mover for a man his size and projects as an above-average MLB defender no matter where he plays. He figures to patrol right field for the Pirates with Andrew McCutchen in center and Starling Marte in left.

After revealing the news that he would be traveling to Pittsburgh, Polanco thanked Pirates fans for being patient with his progress. That seems odd considering he’s about to don an MLB uniform less than two years after playing in Low-A ball, but such is the hype that Polanco generated with his sterling performance as a pro thus far.

Polanco has hit leadoff for Indianapolis over the past few games, indicating that he will keep that spot in the majors. We’ll see Tuesday what manager Clint Hurdle has in mind for his new toy.